What Does Life Look Like For You Now?

[vnatale]

Vinny, how tall are you?

I used to be 5' 8 1/2". Now I might be down to 5'8".

Vinny

[dualstow]

Actually we get a fair amount thanks to skylights. But we don't have a yard to speak of.

Other than the mood enhancer (which is great!), you don't get any of the health benefits from skylight sun. UV doesn't make it through.

I remember that from a Vitamin D conversation. I also think of it as a mood enhancer with a kind of natural sunscreen. Maybe that's misguided, and we can still burn, but we don't hang out for hours under them. In any case, there's no substitute for for unfiltered sunlight and fresh air. I'm not getting much of that.

[vnatale]

At some point I’m going to need to gain a little weight to put on more muscle after I run out of extra fat and my lifts start to plateau.

I am the proverbial "hard gainer"and the classic ectomorph. I plateaued years and years ago on the exercises that I do. Adding 5 pounds to any of them is a MAJOR accomplishment. However, since I'm in the age group of more rapid phase of losing muscle mass potential just staying at a plateau should probably be viewed as victory.

Vinny

[Smith1776]

I am the proverbial "hard gainer"and the classic ectomorph. I plateaued years and years ago on the exercises that I do. Adding 5 pounds to any of them is a MAJOR accomplishment. However, since I'm in the age group of more rapid phase of losing muscle mass potential just staying at a plateau should probably be viewed as victory.

Vinny

Exact opposite here.

I gain muscle super easily, but also gain (and keep) fat super easily. Blech.

[Tortoise]

I am the proverbial "hard gainer"and the classic ectomorph. I plateaued years and years ago on the exercises that I do. Adding 5 pounds to any of them is a MAJOR accomplishment. However, since I'm in the age group of more rapid phase of losing muscle mass potential just staying at a plateau should probably be viewed as victory.

Absolutely. My dad has always been an avid cyclist, and after retirement he started cycling a lot more and is now very skinny. I'm sure his heart is in great health, but it seems like he's probably missing out on the benefits of having a good base of muscle mass and bone density with which to defend against sarcopenia and osteopenia. Avoiding heart attacks is great, but it's also good to be able to get up from the toilet and not shatter your hip if you fall down!

Regarding your being a "hard gainer," that topic comes up frequently in the strength training community -- and especially in Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength community, which I know you're familiar with. The prevailing view there seems to be that "hard gainers" usually just aren't eating enough surplus calories to shift their bodies into anabolism.

In the extreme case of really skinny 18-year-old guys who complain of not being able to gain much strength, Rippetoe tells them to drink a gallon of milk a day (GOMAD) on top of what they're already eating. For less extreme cases, and for older people, he acknowledges that GOMAD is probably a bad idea. But the general concept of shifting to a caloric surplus seems like pretty universal advice for "hard gainers."

[vnatale]

I am the proverbial "hard gainer"and the classic ectomorph. I plateaued years and years ago on the exercises that I do. Adding 5 pounds to any of them is a MAJOR accomplishment. However, since I'm in the age group of more rapid phase of losing muscle mass potential just staying at a plateau should probably be viewed as victory.

Absolutely. My dad has always been an avid cyclist, and after retirement he started cycling a lot more and is now very skinny. I'm sure his heart is in great health, but it seems like he's probably missing out on the benefits of having a good base of muscle mass and bone density with which to defend against sarcopenia and osteopenia. Avoiding heart attacks is great, but it's also good to be able to get up from the toilet and not shatter your hip if you fall down!

Regarding your being a "hard gainer," that topic comes up frequently in the strength training community -- and especially in Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength community, which I know you're familiar with. The prevailing view there seems to be that "hard gainers" usually just aren't eating enough surplus calories to shift their bodies into anabolism.

In the extreme case of really skinny 18-year-old guys who complain of not being able to gain much strength, Rippetoe tells them to drink a gallon of milk a day (GOMAD) on top of what they're already eating. For less extreme cases, and for older people, he acknowledges that GOMAD is probably a bad idea. But the general concept of shifting to a caloric surplus seems like pretty universal advice for "hard gainers."

After adopting Rippetoe's Starting Strength, which I immediately loved, I dropped my formal cardio down to less than 30 minutes total a week. Yes, my stamina is still excellent. I ran run from first base to home or up and down the basketball court and I'm not breathing hard (as opposed to what I hear from fellow players decades and decades younger than me). I attribute that to free weight barbells as being also excellent for the heart.

Vinny

[vnatale]

Except if you are still playing basketball (in general, not during lockdown) you are also getting lots of cardio from that. Most of my cardio comes from pickleball.

Not really. I realized about 10 years ago that if I went down the court every time with the fast guys I'm playing with by the time I make it to the offensive side of the court the flow of direction has already switched to the defensive end. I never want to NOT be covering my person so these days my first priority is to make sure I'm always getting to my defensive spot. Thus, I don't always make it all the way to the offensive end.

But here is another clear sign of the heart benefits of the free weights.

We stop playing basketball at the end of May and don't start until the end of September. So almost four months off and four months in which the only running I'm doing is the 30 minutes a week. I'm not going to count any running involved in softball as it is so minimal.

But when we come back for that first night of basketball in late September, when I've done no basketball running for four months, I can go all from one end of the court to the other and I'm not breathing hard. It HAS to be those free weights!

I contrast that to a night I was playing basketball when I was 24 years old and I almost thought I was having a heart attack or I had been eating too much dairy. My eyes were tearing and my heart was pounding. When I described it to someone he told me it was because I was out of shape. I protested thinking how could I be out of shape, I'm only 24 years old. Then I thought about it more. That night of basketball was the first time I'd run doing anything in the whole prior year. I WAS out of shape!

And, when I was 29, after a night of basketball, my main goal was to get out of my car, get into the house, and collapse on the couch.

Now 40 years later - due to the free weights - I just get out of my car, come into the house, and do whatever I want to do just like I'd not been playing basketball earlier that night.

Vinny

[Tortoise]

It's almost like stronger muscles can produce more force and make it easier to run back and forth on a basketball court!

[vnatale]

It's almost like stronger muscles can produce more force and make it easier to run back and forth on a basketball court!

It seems that free weights are actually a cardiovascular form of exercise in that that they also strengthen the heart. I believe I read this in Rippitoe's book.

Also just found this.

Heavy Lifting and Heart Health

https://startingstrength.com/article/he ... art-health

Vinny

[ochotona]

Quarantine life is a rehearsal for retirement for me...

[vnatale]

Quarantine life is a rehearsal for retirement for me...

My greatest fear in retiring from work was that though I am still am playing basketball and softball at this advanced age at some point those will have to stop (but I've thinking the same thing the last four decades). And, if I'm also no longer working, where is my source of being productive or being part of something?

For the last six weeks there has been no basketball or softball and I still am working my regular number of hours per week.

I've not yet tested not having many of my hours filed up with working plus not being a productive part of the workforce.

Vinny

[Mark Leavy]

It seems that free weights are actually a cardiovascular form of exercise in that that they also strengthen the heart. I believe I read this in Rippitoe's book.
Vinny

I'm a huge fan of Mark Rippetoe and have read his books and been to his seminars and bought his equipment, but...
I think he's stretching credibility with the "barbell's provide all the cardio you need schtick." I do agree that you don't need much cardio, and cardio trains up fast, but barbells aren't going to give it to you.

If I want to walk up hills without breathing hard, I have to walk up hills.

[l82start]

It seems that free weights are actually a cardiovascular form of exercise in that that they also strengthen the heart. I believe I read this in Rippitoe's book.
Vinny

I'm a huge fan of Mark Rippetoe and have read his books and been to his seminars and bought his equipment, but...
I think he's stretching credibility with the "barbell's provide all the cardio you need schtick." I do agree that you don't need much cardio, and cardio trains up fast, but barbells aren't going to give it to you.

If I want to walk up hills without breathing hard, I have to walk up hills.

i am not familiar with his claims but from what i have read, strength training done properly to momentary muscle failure across the major muscle groups will produce equal or better cardiovascular results with far less strain/wear and tear and injury risk than any cardio exercise. For a good read on the science of strength training, try DR Doug Mcguff 's book "body by science"..

[Mark Leavy]

i am not familiar with his claims but from what i have read, strength training done properly to momentary muscle failure across the major muscle groups will produce equal or better cardiovascular results with far less strain/wear and tear and injury risk than any cardio exercise. For a good read on the science of strength training, try DR Doug Mcguff 's book "body by science"..

I've read Mcguff's stuff also. He's pretty sharp - even though I could never learn to enjoy his methods.

But regardless of what the research studies say, if I don't walk uphills, I can't walk up hills. Even if I'm weight training 3x a week.
Now, I may have some internal cardiovascular improvement that I don't know about, but it doesn't seem to translate to real life endurance.

[Smith1776]

i am not familiar with his claims but from what i have read, strength training done properly to momentary muscle failure across the major muscle groups will produce equal or better cardiovascular results with far less strain/wear and tear and injury risk than any cardio exercise. For a good read on the science of strength training, try DR Doug Mcguff 's book "body by science"..

100% true.

Jay Cutler has won Mr. Olympia contests doing literally no cardio and has said so on multiple occasions.

[vnatale]

For a good read on the science of strength training, try DR Doug Mcguff 's book "body by science"..

Convinced me! Just bought my used copy from Amazon.

Thanks!

Vinny

[ochotona]

I'm looking at our cars and wondering - why am I paying insurance on two cars? Why not drop to one, and just turn over the motor every week on the other one, drive it around the cul-de-sac?

Bought $0 gas all last month at Valero.

[vnatale]

I'm looking at our cars and wondering - why am I paying insurance on two cars? Why not drop to one, and just turn over the motor every week on the other one, drive it around the cul-de-sac?

Bought $0 gas all last month at Valero.

My car has not moved, been started as of 5 weeks ago tonight around 3:15 PM!

I am now remembering when I took a nearly month's vacation in July 1981 when my then car did not move for 27 days.

What ARE the concerns when a car just sits, unstarted for a length of time.

No worries about the battery this time of year plus it is relatively new and I have a battery charger just in case.

However, I do STILL have my studded snow tires on!

Vinny

[dualstow]

I have no cars, garage, nor driveway.

[ochotona]

I'm looking at our cars and wondering - why am I paying insurance on two cars? Why not drop to one, and just turn over the motor every week on the other one, drive it around the cul-de-sac?

Bought $0 gas all last month at Valero.

My car has not moved, been started as of 5 weeks ago tonight around 3:15 PM!

I am now remembering when I took a nearly month's vacation in July 1981 when my then car did not move for 27 days.

What ARE the concerns when a car just sits, unstarted for a length of time.

No worries about the battery this time of year plus it is relatively new and I have a battery charger just in case.

However, I do STILL have my studded snow tires on!

Vinny

The pistons will rust and adhere to the cylinder walls, I think. That's the biggie as far as I know. You just want to keep the engine parts coated with oil. I've run my kids' cars 5 min a week for months and months at a time. Batteries run down naturally, if they go all the way to nothing a cell could go bad, so you may also need to trickle charger the battery if it's getting weak. That's why they have "deep cycle" batts, normal car batts are not deep cycle.

[GT]

Not sure if this has already been talked about … Hair Growth during the lock down.

Weeks since my last hair cut

If the shutdown keeps going I cant decide between the full blown 70's news anchor
Ron Burgundy - Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJ1K0_JzFI

or the man bun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ITFeGP1TXk

Maybe I can score an old flowbee off ebay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhyJ0_ahZKk

[Dieter]

Not sure if this has already been talked about … Hair Growth during the lock down.

Weeks since my last hair cut

If the shutdown keeps going I cant decide between the full blown 70's news anchor
Ron Burgundy - Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJ1K0_JzFI

or the man bun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ITFeGP1TXk

Maybe I can score an old flowbee off ebay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhyJ0_ahZKk

Debating getting a Mullet when things open to again.

Some nostalgia best left forgot, but maybe for a little while...

(Aka, growing out at this time -- currently at crazy older grey haired man look. Need me hats for any out / visual time).

[dualstow]

...
Maybe I can score an old flowbee off ebay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhyJ0_ahZKk

If you don't already have one, buy a Wahl clipper on Amazon. You can even do it yourself in front of a mirror if you live alone.

+1 A friend of mine has been using a Wahl for decades. Very good quality.

[vnatale]

Not sure if this has already been talked about … Hair Growth during the lock down.

Weeks since my last hair cut

If the shutdown keeps going I cant decide between the full blown 70's news anchor
Ron Burgundy - Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJ1K0_JzFI

or the man bun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ITFeGP1TXk

Maybe I can score an old flowbee off ebay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhyJ0_ahZKk

If you don't already have one, buy a Wahl clipper on Amazon. You can even do it yourself in front of a mirror if you live alone.

This one? https://smile.amazon.com/Wahl-Professio ... l_huc_item

Vinny

[vnatale]

Not sure if this has already been talked about … Hair Growth during the lock down.

Weeks since my last hair cut

If the shutdown keeps going I cant decide between the full blown 70's news anchor
Ron Burgundy - Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJ1K0_JzFI

or the man bun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ITFeGP1TXk

Maybe I can score an old flowbee off ebay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhyJ0_ahZKk

If you don't already have one, buy a Wahl clipper on Amazon. You can even do it yourself in front of a mirror if you live alone.

This one? https://smile.amazon.com/Wahl-Professio ... l_huc_item

Vinny

That one looks really nice, but the one I got about a year ago (sadly, currently unavailable) came with all of the same stuff plus a second, cordless beard/mustache/sideburn trimmer and was $23.50 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003X ... UTF8&psc=1

Only a year ago you paid $23.50. So the eBay price has since gotten greatly inflated? And, this IS the same thing?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-WAHL-Clip- ... 6befb728f5